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Episode 102: Life is Short, Make a Law School

Disclaimer: Hey, guys. Ben’s microphone wasn’t turned on throughout this episode, so his side of the conversation leaves a bit to be desired from a sound-quality standpoint. Sorry about that. But, hey, it happens.

On with the show…

00:00 – Introduction—Sweaty, health-conscious Ben just barely makes it to the podcast. Fresh off the running trail, he gives insight to his workout routine and what motivated him to go the extra mile for episode 102. And guess what. He didn’t leave it all on the field—he surprises Nathan with some last-minute items to the agenda.

05:36 – A public service announcement to all of our friendly listeners. Please, please, please…please stop sending wall-of-text emails. It’s major crunch time for LSAT-takers everywhere as we go into the school year. The guys are busy. They love you. They want your questions. Just, you know, get to the point.

07:38 – More announcements! Ben has a few updates. Great news for FU, aka Crazy Ben’s Fat-free University of Law. Ben’s team has been looking into accreditation. It looks like there could be an accredited university’s founding in Ben’s future. And it’s gonna be badass. Tune in to hear more about the school’s mission, and the reason for its new name: the John Roberts School of Law. Ben also announces that he has some new digital LSAT prep tools in the works for folks who want to practice online.

12:39 – Email 1—Remember last episode when Nathan predicted law schools would pitch prospective students on VR law? Well, it didn’t take long for Erin to write in with some hard evidence that it’s already underway. Check out this article from OU and this pretty funny press release about OU, each with their own glorious shots of law students wearing VR headsets.

13:29 – Ben makes a great point about the Thinking LSAT newsletter: you should totally sign up! Even if you automatically get the podcasts in your podcast app. The newsletter drops useful links based on topics talked about in the show directly to your inbox. Like the pictures of law students wearing VR gear mentioned above. And even though Nathan admits he does a shitty job of putting the newsletter together, it’s still probably the best thing you’ll receive all week. Just sayin’…

15:00 – Email 2—Humphrey, who has aspirations of attending Harvard Law and eventually becoming a federal judge, writes in asking whether he should retake the LSAT to improve his score of 173. After taking every—yes, every. single. one.—available practice test, he finds that he generally scores 177, which he feels is more complimentary to his 4.0 GPA. The guys discuss what it would take to give Humphrey better chances of being admitted to Harvard, but not before taking him to task for his wall-of-text email.

24:22 – Email 3—Steve, who suffered from GPA-damaging narcolepsy writes back in with an update on his June LSAT score. He got a 171 (great work, Steve). He’s taking the guys’ advice and including a nod to his narcolepsy issues—now resolved—in his addendum, and possibly his personal statement. Still, he wants to know if he should shoot higher, even though it might be a pain in the ass to study for a few more months. Nathan and Ben debate whether the LSAT should be considered a “fun” challenge or not.

36:55 – Email 4—[Redacted] scores in the 170s consistently on practice exams, but was disappointed to score in the mid 160’s on the June LSAT. Believing the primary reason to be test-day anxiety, they ask for tips to improve their score and overcome their test-day stress. The guys weigh in, and talk about the importance of mindfulness as daily practice and practicing with a 5-minute warning.

49:33 – Email 5—Cody writes in with yet another excellent score (congrats on your 171, Cody). Like the previous listeners, Cody is also asking about trying for another point or two on an LSAT retake this fall. While he doesn’t have time for a prep course, he’s wondering about the best course of action to improve his score. After a lengthy digression about Ben’s John Roberts School of Law, the guys double down on their advice: just practice, dude, and then retake.

01:04:49 – Email 6—Suzie writes in to thank the guys for all of the helpful tips that come from the podcast. Tune in to hear what Thinking LSAT advice helped her rock a 173 on June’s LSAT.

01:05:35 – Email 7—K is interested in practicing intellectual property law and plans to take the LSAT in December. K’s concerned that their education and subsequent career in aerospace engineering will seem unappealing to law schools with an IP focus. Ben and Nathan set the record straight for K, and also cast their gaze to the stars above, wondering why anyone would leave a career in aerospace to practice law.

01:15:40 – Email 8—After becoming disillusioned with the world of politics, M moved across the country to a tiny town where she works as a baker. Now that she’s had some space, and lots of tasty bread, she’s thinking about getting back into politics and heading to law school. Having scored a 154, and then a 165 on the LSAT, she asks if she should include an addendum explaining the difference in her scores. The guys discuss the achievement of moving your LSAT score by over ten points, and dive in to what makes an attention-grabbing personal statement.

LSAT Demon

About Ben Olson

About Nathan Fox

I am the founder of Fox LSAT, a UC Hastings law grad, Babson MBA grad, and the author of Cheating the LSAT. I'll inspire you, entertain you, and help you see the test the way I do. My students rave about me, and their LSAT scores show dramatic improvement.